Designing Toward Absolute Zero: Practical Strategies for Carbon-Neutral Laboratories
2025 Lab Design Conference speaker—Kristen DiStefano, director at Atelier Ten
Laboratories are among the most energy- and water-intensive building types, often consuming 10 to 20 times more energy than a typical office. As the demand for carbon neutrality grows, labs represent both a daunting challenge and a powerful opportunity to lead in sustainable design. Achieving meaningful carbon reductions in these complex environments requires a shift in how we approach architecture, engineering, infrastructure, and user behavior.
Four core strategies are shaping the future of carbon-neutral laboratory design: passive, all-electric systems; adaptive reuse of existing buildings; continuous access to renewable energy; and the use of carbon-sequestering materials. These approaches are being tested and refined through a new generation of high-performance lab projects that demonstrate what's possible when innovation is prioritized across disciplines. By rethinking everything from space planning and energy systems to material selection and water reuse, project teams are making measurable progress—while also recognizing the persistent obstacles that must be addressed. The path to carbon neutrality in lab environments is complex, but the next decade will be critical in setting a new standard for sustainable science.
At the 2025 Lab Design Conference in Denver, Kristen DiStefano, director at Atelier Ten, and Ryan Velasco, principal at ZGF, delved deeper into this urgent topic, presenting strategies for designing laboratories that aspire to achieve absolute zero carbon emissions. Framed by the staggering energy demands of lab buildings—often up to 20 times higher than those of standard commercial spaces—their discussion, Designing Towards Absolute Zero Carbon Labs, emphasized how these high-performance facilities can become leaders in climate-responsive design when guided by innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to long-term sustainability.
From net zero to absolute zero
While the industry has grown more conversant in energy efficiency and embodied carbon over the last decade, DiStefano challenged attendees to aim beyond “net zero”—which allows for offsetting emissions—and instead push toward absolute zero, where no carbon is emitted in the first place. Though the ideal is not yet fully achievable, she urged teams to adopt it as a north star, guiding design decisions that will build momentum across future projects.
The presenters laid out six core tenets to approach this goal:
Passive, all-electric design
Adaptive reuse
24/7 renewable energy
Carbon-sequestering materials
Transportation integration
User behavior and engagement
Passive and all-electric: begin with the basics
2025 Lab Design Conference speaker—Ryan Velasco, principal at ZGF
Effective passive design is often overlooked in labs due to programmatic and safety constraints, but DiStefano emphasized its importance. The key is differentiating lab zones with high energy needs from office, teaching, and circulation spaces that can benefit from daylight access, mixed-mode ventilation, and optimized envelopes. Projects like the UT Dallas Bioengineering and Sciences Building demonstrate that external shading, chilled beams, and strategic zoning can reduce energy use by over 40 percent.
All-electric systems allow buildings to tap into increasingly clean electrical grids. Coupled with intelligent ventilation design—like air quality sensors and fume hood controls—these systems help minimize energy demand without compromising safety.
The carbon savings from adaptive reuse can be staggering. One ZGF case study at Cal State LA preserved the structural shell of an existing lab, upgrading only the glazing and mechanical systems. The result: an 80 percent reduction in embodied carbon compared to new construction.
As Velasco noted, adaptive reuse also requires designers to “push clients” to consider alternatives to demolition. Even if it means revisiting project briefs, challenging assumptions early can unlock dramatic lifecycle carbon savings and set new expectations for future lab work.
Relying on annual offsets is no longer sufficient. DiStefano urged teams to think in terms of 24/7 renewable energy coverage, whether through on-site PV, campus-wide systems, or contractual agreements for clean grid energy. Designing for dynamic electric loads (like EV infrastructure) also provides opportunities to reduce demand at peak times—helping grid resilience and carbon intensity.
Carbon-sequestering materials and water reuse
ZGF’s work with mass timber is helping redefine what’s possible in structural systems for labs. A new hybrid lab at CU Boulder uses concrete only where needed for vibration-sensitive wet labs; the rest of the building employs mass timber, reducing embodied carbon significantly. Another example at Oregon State University features mass plywood, allowing the entire lab to meet vibration criteria while still being fully timber-framed.
Beyond structure, teams should also explore carbon-sequestering materials for interiors, insulation, and finishes—but sourcing matters. “It’s not just about material choice, it’s about how and where those materials come from,” DiStefano noted.
Water systems may not carry the same ROI incentives as energy efficiency, but they offer huge environmental savings. The UT Dallas project diverted 1.25 million gallons annually from air handling condensate, RO reject water, and stormwater into a cistern for irrigation—saving water and reducing load on infrastructure.
Tools, tactics, and transparency
To support these efforts, ZGF developed an internal Carbon Playbook—a detailed guide for reducing operational and embodied carbon. They emphasized the importance of early modeling using tools like EC3, OneClick LCA, and targeted component studies. Velasco advised using these tools even in schematic design to guide decisions about structure, envelope, and mechanical systems.
The speakers also underscored the importance of collaboration with contractors and suppliers. For example, ZGF used bid sheets that invited multiple concrete suppliers to propose low-carbon mix options at different price tiers—an approach that helped shift industry norms on the East Coast and could be replicated elsewhere.
The session concluded with a call to action: start small, start now. “Even if we can’t do all of it on every project, doing one thing well and sharing it widely can ripple across the industry,” said DiStefano. Whether piloting low-carbon concrete, integrating new sensor systems, or reusing an existing shell, every step counts.
Key takeaways for lab designers:
Split lab programs to apply appropriate strategies by space type.
Engage users to reduce operational energy through behavior (e.g., shut-the-sash programs).
Start early with embodied carbon modeling, even for concept-level decisions.
Push for adaptive reuse whenever structurally and programmatically feasible.
Collaborate across disciplines—including contractors, suppliers, and end users—to meet carbon goals.
Ultimately, designing toward absolute zero carbon requires not only technical innovation but a culture shift in how we define lab excellence. As the speakers made clear, the tools exist. Now, it's up to the industry to apply them with urgency, creativity, and commitment.
Continue the discussion about sustainable lab design at the 2026 Lab Design Conference in Orlando, FL, on May 11-14! Sign up here to receive more information.
